In this Friday, Feb. 23, 2018 photo, Garrison Keillor poses for a photo in Minneapolis. Keillor discusses allegations of sexual harassment in his first extended interview since Minnesota Public Radio severed ties with the former "A Prairie Home Companion" creator and host in November.(Photo: AP photo)

A scheduled appearance by Garrison Keillor has been canceled by the Burlington Book Festival after a barrage of criticism over the history of multiple allegations of inappropriate conduct by the former "A Prairie Home Companion" host and writer.

The festival's founding director told Vermont Public Radio the appearance, which was set to be a fundraiser, was scrapped following an outcry on social media.

"No insensitivity to anyone was ever the intent," Rick Kisonak told VPR via email. "But the unexpected reaction on social media made it apparent some people viewed his booking as our condoning of sexual harassment. Nothing could be further from the truth."

Monday evening, Keillor responded to the concerns in a Facebook post made on a story by the Burlington Free Press, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

"I agreed to come to Burlington to raise money for the Festival, but if it troubles people, then I'm glad to stay home and do my hoop-stitching," he wrote.

Keillor was fired from Minnesota Public Radio last year following allegations that he had inappropriately touched female show guests – allegations he has denied. Later in 2017, The Washington Post dropped Keillor's syndicated column.

In his post, Keillor said he lost his job over "a mutual email flirtation with a freelance writer."

Keillor's inclusion in the Burlington Book Festival had spurred concern and criticism from some quarters. On Facebook, area resident Steve Cormier termed the organizers' decision "tone deaf."

"For someone who says they've followed Keillor for years, you've apparently missed how he's treated women close to him," Cormier wrote.

Kisonak, the festival's founding director, initially defended the decision to invite Keillor in a Facebook post Sunday. The former radio show host and writer has made incalculable contributions to literature, he said, urging critics to separate the author's documented "inappropriate" behavior from that which could be described as "predatory."

"It has come as a considerable shock that some have been so quick and careless in conflating his recent history with that of people like Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein," Kisonak said.

He went on: "I have never invited a sexual predator to the Burlington Book Festival and never would. I don't condone the inappropriate treatment of women. Never for a minute was it my intention to be insensitive to survivors of sexual mistreatment or abuse.

"Other than responsibly generating revenue for my nonprofit organization, my only interests were in providing Garrison Keillor’s fans with the opportunity to see him while, at the same time, hopefully opening the channel for a conversation with the potential to illuminate, investigate and possibly even heal."

Keillor had agreed to travel to Burlington and host a fundraising event at his own expense, Kisonak said.

Keillor gives account of how he lost Minnesota Public Radio job

Keillor turned "A Prairie Home Companion" into a public radio staple for decades, sharing whimsical stories, songs and humor. Keillor's dispatches from a mythical "Lake Wobegon" populated with hard-working Lutherans were particularly beloved, helping lead Keillor to great success in the book publishing world as well.

Keillor retired from "A Prairie Home Companion" in 2016. The following year, reports emerged of allegations of misconduct with women who had been on the show.

Keillor subsequently lost his job at Minnesota Public Radio in November 2017. His employer cited instances of "inappropriate behavior."

In his post on this story, Keillor gave an account of what happened:

"I was fired by Minnesota Public Radio for a mutual email flirtation with a freelance writer," he wrote. "She wrote suggestive emails to me, I wrote back. She stopped, I stopped.

"She worked for the show right through my retirement in June, 2016, and then, a year and a half later, a male employee threatened MPR with bad publicity if they didn't pay him $250,000. She joined him in a suit, demanding $750,000.

"Neither of them was paid anything, but MPR trashed Writers' Almanac, my daily show, and put my name out there as a predator for emails that, while embarrassing and rather juvenile, were no more so than hers to me."